The invention pertains to medical methods and systems, more particularly, to methods and systems for noninvasively performing a transrib focused ultrasound therapy to treatment areas blocked by the chest ribs.
Focused ultrasound thermal ablation can be used to focus energy onto soft tissues noninvasively and induce a localized temperature elevation (e.g., 30-55° C.) within a few seconds. The resulting high temperature can generate irreversible tissue necrosis at the target region, while not damaging the surrounding normal tissues. Clinical studies have shown the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of the focused ultrasound treatment modality for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other liver tumors.